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SUFFERING RITES
Eternal War EP

Macho (2024)
Rating: 7.5/10

Featuring members of Circle Of Tyrants, BrainBath and Aeffect, Suffering Rites is another Scottish death metal act releasing quality material. Eternal War is the debut EP from this Glasgow-based quintet and it offers something a bit different from the usual gore-drenched stuff.

What you get here is a Bolt Thrower vibe but with a stark, throaty vocal that although grisly is clearer than the gruff bellowing you’d expect. The music is ashen yet melodic, at times blackened yet with an icy vein of accessibility at its heart.

Of the four cuts on offer, three boast a steadiness although they all feature a Bolt Thrower-style of gnashing. The opening title track churns with belligerence as Kenny “Kwondo” Campbell snarls his way through the smouldering debris left by the drums of Steve Wilkinson. It’s immediately accessible and benefits from the clearer vocals and meandering melody. ‘Overlord’ begins in a similar vein before picking up the pace, but the combo then reverts back to that mid-paced groove.

‘Dark Future’ rumbles with ominous aplomb as riffs grind like oncoming tanks alongside Kwondo’s demented barks, while the final tune ‘Blinding Light’ again brings a mid-tempo groove before the gnashing gets harder and heavier.

Eternal War is a striking EP that may surprise some with its grooves and vocal approach, but more than anything it’s proof once again of the bewildering talent on display within the Scottish death metal scene.

Neil Arnold

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